By now, we all know that the pandemic completely altered our interactions in the corporate world. Conferences were canceled, events moved online, and the days of in-person networking opportunities seemed to be a thing of the past. Now, with vaccination rollouts continuing to rage on, more people are ready to get back to business. But we are now left wondering: “Where can I find networking events happening today?”
To help answer this, we found three sites to help you get at the top of your networking game. We’re not talking about Linkedin or Indeed- these are real sites with real people hosting REAL events! And since 80% of open positions today are never posted on job boards, gaining some name recognition in your field of interest is only going to make advancing in your career breezier.
MeetUp
MeetUp has been an Office Heroes fan favorite from the start; they offer both in-person and online event options sorted by date, location, and even specific keywords! From job interview prep to book clubs to flamenco dancing, there is truly something for everyone with more than 100 topic options to explore.
Aside from searching for events, they also allow members to build local communities and join groups based on geographical location and interest. That way, you never have to go digging for events- they notify you when one is happening in your area! Struggling to find an event or group that resonates with you? Create your own community of like-minded individuals looking to network with people in your field!
If you want to explore MeetUp, why not join our community groups to start? We have groups for those in the Bay Area, Seattle, New York City, and DC.
Eventbrite
Many people associate Eventbrite with more party-centric activities, but their platform offers more than just concert tickets and brunch activities. Through their site, you can search for events (online or in-person) in your local area by keyword, date, topic type, and price (cause who doesn’t love finding free festivities?). Last year, Eventbrite hosted more than 4 million events in nearly 180 countries, and we can only assume that number has grown as the country has reopened in 2021.
Anyone can join and create an event, so if you’re looking to host one rather than simply attend, you can customize pages, sell tickets from your website, and even create customized email templates for event promotion. But if you’re searching for events, you can get personalized recommendations by simply joining for free and telling them about your interests!
Facebook Events
Okay, hear us out: Facebook events aren’t just for your friend’s birthday party invitations anymore. Today, you can find local events that your network is interested in and can search for activities by category or keyword. Their events page shows you recommended activities in your area, but also offers customizations by date and by whether you prefer in-person or online options.
Since many of us already have Facebook, gaining access to these events is as easy as making one click on their website- no additional signup required. Facebook also allows you to join specific groups on the app that can host events, so you can join a community of your choice that will notify you when there is a new activity taking place within the group!
